Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help all people in northern Sri Lanka to have access to clean drinking water; and if he will make representations to his Sri Lankan counterpart on an independent investigation of the area around the Chunnakam power plant complex.

The UK Government is aware of the challenges Sri Lanka faces around water management and quality, and the unique challenges faced by communities in the Northern Province. A number of public bodies in Sri Lanka, including the national water supply and drainage board, have conducted tests into the water quality. The Chunnakam Power plant has offered compensation to those affected by water pollution. The UK Government supports the International Water Management Institute, an international water management research organisation, solutions to increasing water scarcity in Puttalam and Kilinochchi. Officials from the British High Commission Colombo regularly visit the Northern Province, meet with a range of stakeholders, and hear their experiences and concerns.